Barn-find cars to watch from the Baillon Collection auction

This 1963 Porsche 356 is among the 60 more or less complete cars which will be offered by Articurial

On Feb. 6, bidders from all over the world will have an opportunity to compete for cars from one of the most breathtaking collections of barn-stored vehicles that we have seen this century, as Artcurial Auctions will offer 60 automobiles from the Baillon Collection at their flagship sale at Retromobile in Paris.

The sudden emergence of this collection from the French countryside continues to be called improbable and incredible, both due to the size of the stash and to the cars contained within it. Half a dozen coachbuilt Talbot-Lagos are merely the start of this menagerie, built up over many years by Roger Baillon, with well-preserved and nicely patinated 1956 Maserati A6G 2000 Gran Sport Berlinetta by Frua and its 1961 Ferrari 250 GT SWB California Spider stablemate being the icing on the cake.

A total of 60 cars will be offered for restoration or preservation. Another 40 cars will offered for parts by the French auction house, having deteriorated past the point of restoration.

But even among those that can be restored, some will inevitably invite far more attention than others. And presented below (in no particular order) are 10 cars we'll be keeping an eye on as Baillon collection finds new homes in a couple of weeks.

Photo

Artcurial Auctions

This 1956 Facel-Vega Excellence sedan is among the better-preserved cars in the collection.

1956 Facel-Vega Excellence sedan

One of the better-preserved and most quintessentially French cars that will be on offer is this 1960 Facel-Vega Excellence sedan. Rare when new and as expensive as it looks, the Excellence was first shown at the 1956 Paris motor show, and used a stretched Facel-Vega FV Coupe body and Chrysler V8 power connected to a TorqueFlite three-speed automatic transmission. This makes it one of the lesser known midcentury hybrids, as coachbuilt European cars with American engines were known at the time. The design of Excellence borrowed equally from European and American designs, and the rear half of this car, along with the tail fins, is akin to something that one could find on a concept at a GM Motorama.

These were exclusive cars for their day and all were commissioned to order, offering features only found on the most expensive luxury cars of the time, like power windows, air conditioning and power steering. A number of innovative and technically complex design features are also present on the Excellence, such as a wraparound windshield, a coupe-like roof without a B-pillar, and frameless doors. This design required precision in execution, especially when coupled with the engineering requirements of suicide doors.

This particular example is easily in the top 20 cars in the Baillon collection in terms of condition, and Facel-Vegas are highly valued and well-understood cars in just about every market where collector cars are in abundance. The history of this example is even known from new: It was bought by Helen Kirby de Bagration, a 25-year-old descendant of the last Russian royal dynasty, the Romanovs. The car is thought to have been a gift for Duke Vladimir Kirillovitch Romanov, who was living in France in exile with other members of the Romanov dynasty. Finished in Tudor Grey over black leather upholstery, the car now shows 52,213 kilometers, believed to be genuine. The last oil change records date back to 1965. Most of the interior, save for the upholstery, appears salvageble, and it is virtually assured that this car will be treated to a concours-grade restoration. Artcurial estimates this rare Facel to bring between €60,000 and €80,000, which translates to approximately $69,000 to $92,000.

Related

This 1930 Delage D8 - 15 S by Autobineau is one of the rarer cars in the collection.

1930 Delage D8 - 15 S by Autobineau

Delage is one of the most celebrated and most collected pre-war European marques, and enthusiasts from all over the world will have an opportunity to bid on a nearly complete Delage D8-15 S believed to be from 1930. The D8 model was introduced in 1929 and is regarded as the most outstanding model from this French marque. The coachwork for this example is believed to have been done by Autobineau, and not by Delage itself, with this car being one of just 65 examples of the J 19 chassis (the J denoting that this is a two-door sedan and 19 being the 19th variation of this model). This example is equipped with a 2.6-liter 80 hp engine and a Solex carburetor, with this series of cars having been developed from the Delage 1500 Grand Prix World Championship-winning cars of 1927.

This particular example shows 48,903 kilometers on its Jaeger instruments, none of which are said to be missing, and the car still wears a Parisian plate. The exterior is liberally stuccoed with mud and surface rust, though the interior is said to be complete even if deteriorated. The velour upholstery is in particularly poor shape in the detailed photos, though most of the hardware is said to be complete. Artcurial estimates this example will bring between €30,000 and €50,000 on auction day, which translates to approximately $35,000 to $57,000, a reflection of the collectibilty of this model.

Related

This rare Talbot unfortunately suffered to significant damage on the right side, but its engine appears salvageable.

1949 Talbot-Lago T26 Grand Sport SWB by Saoutchik

One of the more impressive examples of post-war French coachbuilding, this Talbot Lago T26 Grand Sport with chassis 110109 was commissioned by Pierre Saoutchik from Talbot Lago, one of just 29 short wheelbases built by Talbot between 1948 and 1952. Saoutchik ordered this car specifically to exhibit it at auto shows, with the 1948 Paris Salon being the first event to show it. Saoutchik opted for a fastback coupe body for these athletic chassis, though their first versions of bodies for these cars had low rooflines, reportedly making them somewhat difficult to drive.

The coachbuilder went on to develop a body with a slightly higher roof profile, and this happens to be one of four high-roof coupes that were built. Artcurial states that Talbot dealers were unable to sell this example for a long time, shipping it between various European events, with the car's final appearance being at the London Motor Show in March in 1951. The car subsequent history is murky, but before his death Baillon indicated that he had purchased it in the east of France in 1980, and that it was already in barn-kept condition then with some rear-end damage from an accident.

To say that this car has rust issues would be an understatement. While the right side of the car maintains some paint in places, the left side not only appears to have been partially flattened from above, but has bodywork that appears to be paper-thin in places. Overall, the amount of wear and deterioration this example appears to have is uneven. What is certain is that only a few pieces of brightwork on the body appear salvageable, and despite the interior being complete, just about all of the chassis and body will need to be refabricated from scratch. The only reassuring element here, if a restoration is attempted, is that the engine bay is largely intact, with some fuel lines still in place, along with the original manufacturer plate. That's enough to go on, along with some bits of the interior, if the winning bidder has the desire to bring this car back. But it could just as easily stay as-is, which is what some might like to see happen, a la the submerged Bugatti.

Artcurial estimates this Talbot-Lago to bring between $458,000 and $688,000.

Photo

Artcurial Auctions

This 356 has moderate rust damage in spots, but is otherwise said to be complete.

1963 Porsche 356 SC

Fans of restoring German cars will also have something to look forward to at this auction, as those seeking a (very) demanding Porsche 356 project will be able to bid on this very original Porsche 356 SC from 1963. Produced towards the end of the production run for this model, this 356 is equipped with a 95-hp engine, with chassis number 215888 and engine number P810505. Still finished in Emailblau over red leather, Artcurial notes that the interior of this example is well-preserved, though the body does exhibit uneven layers of rust distributed towards the usual areas.

Artcurial bills this Porsche 356 as a completely original example, with the odometer now showing 86,806 kilometers. Its condition in the photos suggests an early and sudden retirement to the barn, as the car still wears Parisian plates and the small Sonauto badge on the back. The last record for this car dates back to 1974, when it was impounded courtesy of the Courbevoie police station, with that record also showing that Roger Baillon, the original owner of this collection who died just months ago, paying 290 francs to have it released. Whether 1974 is the last date of activity for this car is another question altogether, one that Artcurial does not indicate as having an answer.

The auction house estimates that this example will bring between €20,000 and €30,000 -- approximately $23,000 to $34,000.

Related

This Delahaye 235 by Chapron is one of the rarer post-war coachbuilt models to be offered, but the estimate is very modest.

1952 Delahaye 235

Cars with coachbuilt bodies make up a sizeable chunk of the Baillon collection, and one of the better preserved examples of post-war French coachbuilding on offer is this Delahaye 235 Chapron sedan believed to be from 1952. The French coachbuilder built a variety of bodies for the Delahaye 235, and this two-door sedan is among the 33 it worked on. The Delahaye 235 chassis itself was a thorough update of the Type 135 cars of the 1930s, with the 235 debuting in 1951 at the Paris motor show.

A total of 84 engined chassis were made by Delahaye without bodies, with Saoutchik, Antem, Figoni and Henri Chapron providing the sheetmetal. Powered by a 3.6-liter inline-six producing 152 hp, the Delahaye was an expensive and exclusive car back in the day, though their survivability has not been great. With 33 examples of the sedan produced, this version is the most common, though perhaps not the most desirable.

This car was sold new in Paris and had covered 77,330 km by 1963. This example now shows 78,857, and is said to be complete aside from a missing radio. The interior appears to be remarkably well-preserved in the photos, in a tribute to just how well insulated midcentury coachbuilders made their cars, though it'll take plenty of work to get this Delahaye running again. There is plenty of dirt lodged in this example, though no obvious areas of rust that have destroyed parts of the car are visible. A Castrol oil change sticker dating back to 1963 is still with the car, suggesting that that was the year the car joined the collection.

Artcurial estimates this example will bring between €35,000 and €40,000 -- approximately $40,0000 to $46,000 -- which is pretty modest, but then again there is not a lot of demand for the last-of-the-line Delahayes. It is the 1930s cars collectors and concours judges are fawning over. A couple hundred thousand should get this example to show-ready condition.

Photo

Artcurial Auctions

This Ferrari-powered Lancia will likely be one of the bargains of the sale. But there are easier ways into Thema 8.32 ownership.

1987 Lancia Thema 8.32

One of the more recent and relatively well-known cars that'll be on offer at Retromobile is this 1987 Lancia Thema 8.32. You may remember this as the Ferrari V8-engined Lancia sedan, a relative of cars like the Saab 9000, Alfa Romeo 164 and the Fiat Croma. (Who can forget the Fiat Croma?) While the rest of the range was powered by various four-cylinder and six-cylinder engines, the Thema 8.32 used a 2927cc Ferrari V8 out of the Mondial, an example of which is also available at this auction. The top versions cranked out 212 hp, which was good enough to send them from 0 to 62 mpg in just 6.8 seconds. Interestingly enough, the Thema was also available with a V6 engine with a slightly greater displacement, a 3.0-liter. The 8.32 version of the Thema was expensive and rare back in the day, and Ferrari maintenance makes them an expensive car to own despite the low price of entry.

This particular example was purchased new in France by Jacques Baillon, the son of Roger Baillon, who used it until just about six years ago. The car shows 156,032 kilometers on the odometer, making it one of the higher-mileage cars at the auction. Artcurial states that the car comes with manuals and documents, but that it will require an overhaul and service before being put back on the road. The auction company estimates this example to bring between €2,000 and €3,000 on auction day, which works out to about $2,300 to $3,500.

Photo

Artcurial Auctions

Admittedly, it's hard to get a sense of scale for this car just by the photos.

1949 Delahaye GFA 148 L limousine Guillore

This bulbous-looking beast is a 1949 Delahaye GFA 148L with a body by Guillore. Based on the Type 135, this limousine features a partition between the driver and passenger compartments. It is powered by a six-cylinder engine connected to a gearbox by Cotal, also found in the Type 135 and made famous by the marque's performance in the 24 Hours of Le Mans and the Monte Carlo Rally. The L-designation in the model index stands for Leger, or Light, even though this sedan is anything but light. These were made by the coachbuilder Guillore, in the town of Courbevoie, and features red leatherette upholstery with black piping, which is believed to have been redone on this particular example.

This is one of the last great coachbuilt French saloons, hailing from the immediate post-war era that saw a frantic reuse of pre-war engine technology coupled with the surviving expertise of coachbuilders that existed before the war. As a result, it represents updates of pre-war technology and design more than anything else, adapted in an attempt to jump-start the French automotive industry after the war.

These Delahayes, as other storied marques, were made in very limited numbers before the war, though Artcurial is estimating this example to bring between €5,000 and €7,000 on auction day. Needless to say, just about every car in the collection has a six-figure restoration ahead of it, and if the selling price falls anywhere close to this estimate, the price of the car will seem like a rounding error at the end of the day.

Related

The sole Bugatti in the collection is this impressive machine, which wears a Ventoux body now.

1937 Bugatti Type 57

The Bugatti Type 57 is a car that needs no introduction, though this example is even more special the "garden variety" 57s. This chassis bearing number 57579 was completed in August 1937, and was driven to coachbuilder Gangloff, who fitted it with a four-door body that same year. Bugatti themselves did not build any saloon bodies that year, making this example a bit rarer still, and this car would go on to find its first owner in March of 1938, selling for 70,000 francs. Its first owner died during the war, with the car then changing hands several times before settling in Montrouge in 1955 in a yard that kept several other Bugattis, including Ventoux Coach chassis 57659, the body that this chassis now wears. This car would go on to be purchased by Jacques Baillon in 1964, who kept it locked up in his barn for the next 50-odd years.

The history of the chassis and the body here are well known, and present an interesting backstory -- one that is not all that uncommon when it comes to Bugattis. The winning bidder will have the option of keeping the Ventoux body that the car currently wears, or returning it to the appearance of the Gangloff streamlined saloon from 1937, which was a unique car. Either way, a six-figure restoration is in order, with Artcurial estimating this car to bring between €120,000 and €160,000 on auction day.

Reverse-engineering a one-of-one Bugatti streamlined saloon is not for the faint of heart, but out of the whole collection, this is perhaps the car that we want to see restored the most.

Photo

Artcurial Auctions

This Maserati A6G is one of the two stars of the show.

1956 Maserati A6G 2000 Gran Sport Berlinetta by Frua

One of the co-stars of the Baillon collection auction will undoubtedly be this 1956 Maserati A6G 2000 Gran Sport Berlinetta by Frua. One of four made and featuring black paint over an ivory interior and Veglia intruments, this car was delivered new from Garage Mirabeau on Avenue de Versailles in Paris to an architect named Jacques Fildier. Before its delivery, the car was displayed at the Paris motor show in the Grand Palais in October of 1956. Sometime between the delivery to its first owner and 1959, the car received a different grille from the one it started with, possibly due to a collision.

The car didn't stay with its first owner very long, with Roger Baillon picking it up from its second owner in December of 1959. And that's the end of this car's ownerhip history -- the Baillon family became its third and current owner, with the car spending the next 55 years in better storage than was afforded dozens of other cars that were stored in the barns throughout the property. Because of this, the condition of the interior and exterior easily puts it into the very top spot, one shared by three or four other cars, if that many, when it comes to condition.

This Maserati sat next to the Ferrari 250 California Spyder since that car entered the collection in 1971, and four years ago Jacques Baillon started some mechanical work on it, removing the transmission tunnel and replacing the clutch. Needless to say, the car will need just about everything. Artcurial estimates this Maserati to bring between €800,000 and €1.2 million, approximately $930,000 and $1,395,000.

Related

The star of the show will undoubtedly be this well-preserved 1961 Ferrari 250 GT SWB California Spyder.

1961 Ferrari 250 GT SWB California Spyder

The undisputed star of the sale is a 1961 Ferrari 250 GT short-wheelbase California Spyder. One of the most iconic cabriolets of the 20th century, and not just because of "Ferris Bueller's Day Off," the California Spyder combined a svelte body by Pininfarina with a 3.0-liter V12, producing a exciting soundtrack that few other cars have come close to matching. Just 52 examples of the short-wheelbase model were made between 1960 and 1962. Shortly after this example was completed on Sept. 27, 1961, it was sent to the Paris motor show. After the first Ferrari displayed there found a buyer, it was replaced by this example which was picked up days later by actor Gérard Blain, who registered it in Monaco. The car was later bought by Alain Delon, and it made its way to the U.S., acquiring U.S.-spec turn signals at that time. After returning to France and going through three more owners, the California, with chassis number 2935GT, settled in the collection of Jacques Baillon in November of 1971.

The California had been stored next to the Maserati since that time, until the gates of the garage were opened and it was found sitting under some papers and magazines and a layer of dust. Artcurial reports that there is not much damage to the interior or exterior, with a dented trunk being the worst of it. The black imitation leather is said to have held up well, and the shape of the upholstery appears to square up with the claim that the environment in which this particular car resided was on the dry side.

Artcurial calls this the last short chassis California with covered headlights in original condition, and so far we have not heard that claim challenged. Potential bidders would be hard pressed to find another one -- and the main question will be whether to preserve or restore. With not that much patina inside and out, and given the market's preference for originality, we would be surprised if this example were given anything more than a sympathetic mechanical restoration; a complete cosmetic restoraton would inevitably erase much of its incredible and visible story, if not history.

Artcurial estimates this California to bring between €9.5 million and €12 million on auction day, which seems readily achievable. In U.S. dollars, that works out to $10,880,000 and $13,744,000.